Papaya Recall Due To Salmonella Outbreak

08 August 2017, 11:07 | Melissa Porter

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The products were distributed to wholesalers in the NY, CT, and NJ, from July 16 to 19 - and then sold to retail consumers up until July 31. At least 35 people have been hospitalized and 109 people sickened across the country. The CDC was able to identify one illness cluster in Maryland which linked these cases of salmonella to papayas bought at a store in the Baltimore area.

USA health officials say more people have contracted salmonella by eating papayas from a farm in southern Mexico. As of today no illnesses have been reported from the Valery brand of Maradol Papayas but as a precaution the FDA recommended a recall of all Maradol Papayas imported in the month July from the Carica de Campeche farm.

More details on dates of distribution of affected papayas, brand names and numbers can be found on the FDA's website. Restaurants and retailers can ask their supplier.

The agency is telling consumers to avoid maradol papayas branded Valery, Cavi or Caribeña and to avoid all papayas from Carica de Campeche.

The company says it is taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its imported produce by taking samples of every load to a private lab, and testing for Salmonella. Wash and sanitize countertops as well as drawers or shelves in refrigerators where papayas were stored.

A growing risk of salmonella has prompted the FDA to issue new warnings about papayas. Salmonella can infect anyone, but young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to have severe infections. Specifically, three brands of this variety of papaya have been recalled: Caribeña brand papayas, distributed by Grande Produce; certain Cavi brand papayas distributed by Agroson's; and Valery brand papayas, distributed by Freshtex Produce, LLC.

Anyone who has eaten fresh papaya recently and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection is urged to seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure so the proper diagnostic tests can be performed. Valery Maradol papayas have a red, yellow, and green sticker with "Valery" in yellow letters. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. As of Monday, for the 74 outbreak victims for whom ethnicity information was available, 50, or 68 percent, are Hispanic.

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